Ultimate Gamble
by baby8love
Summary: Lightman/Foster. Tiny bit of spoilers from "Truth or Consequences".
1. Chapter 1

"Hi."

Knocked out of her reverie, Gillian turned to find Cal had entered her office. "Hey." She could tell by the look on his face what he was here to talk about. "I'm sorry for the trouble I've brought on…I **will be** bringing onto the company but I don't regret what I did. That woman and her kids did not want to be there. They should have the right to choose how they live their lives. I don't regret helping them escape."

Cal nodded slowly, waiting for her to finish before he shrugged, "I was just gonna come in to say good morning but…"

Her lips tugged into a smile, knowing he didn't mean what he had just said. "Good morning, Cal."

He answered her smile with one of his own but quickly returned to a more serious tone as he approached her desk. "Do you know why I asked you to be my partner when I started this company?"

"Because you needed a referee to keep you and Zoe in check?" Gillian replied with a smirk.

"Because I respected you, not only for your professional expertise but I also respected you as a person. What you did for that woman and those kids…" He paused and gave a slight shake of his head, "I wouldn't expect anything less from you."

"Thank you…for your support."

"Now, if any IRS agents come in asking for this file and that file and whichever records, don't think I won't be sending them all your way…" He wagged his finger at her but was cut short by a knock on the door. They both turned to find Ria standing at the door, gesturing at them both to come outside.

"What is it?" Gillian asked curiously as she followed Cal out the door.

"There's someone in the lobby who specifically asked to speak to the two of you. The receptionist told him to take a seat, that the two of you were busy but…" Ria's explanation was interrupted by a thunderous voice down the hall.

"Well if it isn't my two favourite lie detectors in the whole wide world!"

The loudness of the voice and the southern accent were unmistakable. Gillian braced herself for what was about to happen. It had been a while but she still remembered…

"How are y'all doin'? Lookit you, Dr. Foster, still lookin' smokin', I see! C'mere and gimme a hug!"

Gillian winced as she was pulled into a big bear hug. She patted the burly man's back and barely coughed out, "Hi, Buck, it's been a while…" She gave a quick intake of breath as the large cowboy let her go and was not amused when she found a rather decently-sized crowd now staring at them.

Cal seemed entirely entertained by the scene that was unfolding in front of him when Buck switched his attention over to him. "Light-man!"

Shaking the large hand that was offered to him, Cal asked what he was sure everyone wanted to know, "What brings you here, Buck?"

"Well it looks like I've gotten myself into a bit of a doozy with my place of business and I thought, who best to help me than two of the best?"

"Oh…alright, why don't we step into my office to talk about this? This way then…"

As Buck and Cal walked away, Ria moved over to Gillian's side and whispered, "Who **was** that?"

"Trouble. That's who it was." Gillian sighed and followed the two men's path, leaving Ria as confused as ever.


	2. Chapter 2

Cal waited until Gillian was in the room and the door was closed before beginning. "So, Buck, what can we do for you?"

"Well, you see, I think someone's been stealin' money right out from under my nose."

"Well, if that's the case, maybe you should speak to the police about this." Gillian insisted, almost a little too quickly.

"No, no…" Buck made an exaggerated wave with his hand, "you know me and the cops don't mix, honey. And anyhow, I don't need my family business aired out in all them newspapers!"

Cal glanced at Gillian, who had so subtly grimaced at being called, 'honey' by the man seated in front of him. "Family business?"

"Yeah yeah…you know, ever since I met the two of ya, I just couldn't get myself over how well y'all worked together! I saw how much you two helped each other and I couldn't help but want a little lady by my side helping me out too." He let out a hearty laugh, just missing the silent exchange Cal and Gillian had.

Gillian had mouthed, "Little lady?" to Cal, who smiled but said nothing.

Buck continued, "Anyhow, I went and gone find myself a nice woman to take care o' me and help me out with Big Buck's Casino. Things were goin' real good…so good, in fact, I opened a new casino called the Golden Buck! Gave the keys to the place to my woman and she ran that place better than any pit boss I ever seen but then…" He trailed off, sighing dramatically.

"What happened?"

The cowboy reached into his white snake-skin studded jacket and pulled out a small manila envelope. He handed it to Cal, who opened it and found a stack of notes with a photo inside. "That's Robbie, my son."

"Son?" Cal studied the photo of the young man before looking back up at Buck. "I didn't realize you had…"

"I don't. He ain't my blood. He's my lady's son but I took him in like he was family. Gave him a job at the Golden Buck. Gave him a roof over his head, food on his table…anything he wanted." He paused, his jaw tightening for a moment. "Two months ago, I was informed by one of my people that there's somethin' wrong with Golden Buck's books. Now, I ain't never been good with them numbers and whatnot so, I asked my wife what was goin' on and she assured me everything was alright. I believed her cuz I think it's important to trust one another in a union under God's eyes but, lemme tell you somethin', if that boy's been takin' my money, I don't care whose womb he came out of, I will break him like a twig."

"Is there any reason you suspect him? Any evidence?" Cal flipped nonchalantly through the stack of papers that had accompanied the photo.

"Boy's got a record longer than an Indian's ponytail! Anyhow, I never had any problems until he showed up. I dunno who else it could be."

"And you want us to find out whether he's responsible."

"I always said you were a bright one, Light-man! As for the fee, don't you worry 'bout that, you know Buck Hoyt always treats the people who help him very generously." He grinned, flashing his gold tooth-ridden smile at Cal, before looking up at Gillian and winking at her.

"I'm sorry, Buck, will you excuse us for a second? I have to discuss something with Cal." Gillian looked pointedly at Cal, gesturing at the door, "Cal?"

"Oh, of course, of course! Discuss away! I always said communication was important in any ol' relationship!" Buck continued grinning, giving Cal a quick slap on the arm as he walked by him.

"What? What is it?" Cal followed Gillian out the door.

She pulled him further down the hallway before speaking, "What do you mean what? You aren't actually considering taking him on as a case, are you? Cal, do I need to remind you what happened the last time we were involved with Buck?"

"Well, yeah, but that was a long time ago and this time's different. He needs our help."

"If someone's stealing money from him. He should call the cops. If he doesn't wanna do that, he has plenty of money to hire PI's to do his dirty work for him! **You** can't take this job."

Cal stayed silent for a moment, simply looking at his partner. Even though she didn't elaborate, he knew what she meant. "It'll be fine, you'll be there with me, right?"

"Yes, of course, but…no, no, you can't."

"You worry too much. Things are different now."

"You're right, Cal, things **are** different now. You have a company to run. You have a reputation to uphold -- a reputation that the FBI vouches for. You can't do anything to jeopardize that."

"Don't worry, love. Everything will be alright. I promise."

There was something final in his voice that told her this was one fight she had lost. She sighed in defeat and followed Cal back into the office, where Buck stood up and opened his arms, "So? What's the verdict?"

"We'll help you, Buck." Cal nodded, purposely avoiding Gillian's eyes.

"Gr-reat! I knew I could count on you two! Alrighty then, why don't you two head on home and pack some o' 'er stuff and I'll meet y'all at the private air field in say…half an hour? I'll have my plane fueled up and ready to go." Without giving either of them a chance to respond, Buck pushed out of the office and let out a loud, "Yee-haw!"

Gillian groaned and looked worriedly at Cal. What did they just get themselves into?


	3. Chapter 3

Ria and Eli exchanged curious looks as they entered Cal's office and waited patiently to be told whatever it was that Cal and Gillian wanted to talk to them about. Gillian was the first to break the silence. "We wanted you two to know that Cal and I will be heading out of town for a week."

"Or longer, if need be." Cal added. He glanced at Gillian, whose look told him she had detected the slight excitement in his voice.

"Oh…you wouldn't be heading to Vegas, would you?" Eli asked, looking at Gillian, then at Cal.

"Yes, actually, we are."

"Interesting."

Ria frowned, never having liked being left out of the loop. She waited for Eli to say more but when he didn't, she shook her head, "Ok, can someone tell me what's going on? Why was there a cowboy here just a minute ago? And why are you going to Vegas?"

Eli piped up before either of his bosses could have a chance to, "That was Buck Hoyt. Owner of Big Buck's Casino in Vegas. Richest Texan to not have made any of his money off of oil. He's…an old friend of Lightman's."

There was a slight inflection in Eli's tone that indicated to Ria there was more to that comment than had been said but, again, the group fell into silence. "Ok…and I suppose he has a case for you and that's why the two of you are going to Vegas?" Ria focused on Cal, who looked at her but said nothing.

"Yes, that's correct. We called you in here because with the both of us gone, we wanna make sure everything runs smoothly around here."

Before Gillian could continue, Eli raised his hand, "I would be more than glad to hold the fort down while you guys are gone. I mean, we don't have any big cases going on right now so I could totally…"

"You're not out of time-out yet, Loker. I want you **and** Torres to take care of the remaining cases while we're gone. Torres," Cal turned back to Ria but kept his finger pointed at Loker, "I want you to keep him in check."

"Ok, should I be more offended that you're saying all of this in front of me or that you just asked the newbie to 'keep me in check'?"

"Excuse me?" Ria feigned insult.

"What? Just cuz you've helped on a few major cases doesn't mean you're not a newbie still."

"If you two are done bickering, we have a plane to catch." Cal jumped out of his seat and practically raced to the door.

Ria did not miss the tired look of concern on Gillian's face before she followed Cal out of the office. With the two higher-ups gone, Ria grabbed Eli's arm and turned him around, "Ok, what was that?"

"What was what?" Eli shrugged, "You're a newbie! I'm not taking it back."

"Not that! I mean…the whole…'he's an old friend of Lightman's' business."

"Oh, you mean Buck?" Eli chuckled, taking a few strides towards the door.

She knew he was taking joy in stalling. He liked knowing more than her and she hated it. "Yes, I mean Buck. Who is he? And why did they take the case if Foster obviously didn't want to?"

Again, another chuckle escaped Eli's lips, "You caught that too, huh? Not that I blame her. I'd be worried too, if I were her."

"Worried about what?"

"Lightman falling back into his old ways."

"What old ways?"

Eli sighed loudly as he took a seat in the kitchen. "Oh, Torres, it's really a sordid tale and not the type I should be spreading around here at work…"

"Quit playing games and tell me the story." Ria sat down and looked at her colleague with a stern face. "Tell me everything."


	4. Chapter 4

Cal had jut shut his eyes and leaned comfortably back into his cushioned leather seat when he felt someone's hand on his knee. He opened his eyes to find Gillian leaning forward in her own chair towards him. She spoke in a quiet voice, "What did you tell Zoe?"

"About what?" He played dumb, knowing exactly what she meant. She pursed her lips, meaning she was not in the mood to humour him. He shrugged, "I…told her the truth."

"Which is what?"

"That I have a case that requires me to be out of town and that she could stay at the house so that Emily wouldn't have to go over to her place. She was fine with it."

"Did you tell her where you would be exactly?"

"You mean, did I tell her I was going to be in Vegas? No, of course not." At Gillian's knowing look, he shook his head, "I didn't find a need for it. What good would it do for her to know where I was? I have no obligation to report to her of my whereabouts. I didn't even do that when we were married."

"And look where that landed you." Gillian leaned back in her chair, dissatisfied with his answers but not wanting to get into an argument.

"Would you be offended if I told you you sound exactly like Zoe?"

She bristled but said nothing, turning, instead, to focus on the clouds flying by the plane's window.

It was Cal's turn to lean forward now. He brushed Gillian's knee with his fingers. "I know you're worried but it'll be alright. I have a lot more self-control now and if I were to find myself getting off track, I'm sure you'll be there to rein me back in."

"It's not that I don't trust you, Cal." She turned to look at him, acknowledging that she knew he was ready to take this seriously now. "But considering what happened the last time we were in Vegas…"

"Oh, don't you two worry your pretty little doctor heads about that. You're in Vegas as Buck Hoyt's VIP guests. Ain't nobody gonna give you a hard time. Not the police, not the other casinos – nobody." Buck exited the bathroom and returned to his own seat. "Sorry for eavesdroppin' there but you got nothin' to worry 'bout, Light-man. Ima take good care o' you."

Cal leaned back, pulling down on his blazer to straighten it out, "You hear that, love? Buck'll take care of me! We've got nothing to worry about."

Gillian gave him an unconvinced look but said nothing. Buck took off his big white cowboy hat and placed it neatly on the seat across from his before saying, "Lots has changed in good ol' Sin City since the last time you been in town."

"Well, it has been almost 15 years…" It wasn't until he said it himself that Cal realized how long it had been since he had stepped foot in Las Vegas. A flood of memories invaded his mind.

Sensing Cal was entering a place in his memories she wasn't sure he was ready to deal with yet, Gillian quickly asked, "So, Buck, will we be able to speak with Robbie the moment we land? I think the quicker we speak to him, the quicker we'll know what we're dealing with here."

"Efficient! So efficient! Light-man, you really lucked out with this one." Buck wagged his thumb playfully at Gillian and gave another one of his hearty chuckles. "And yes, honey, I've already set up a meeting for y'all to speak with Robbie and Joanna…that's my wife. Believe you me, I want this over with as soon as possible too. As a matter of fact, lemme call my people to make sure they're ready and waitin' for y'all when we arrive."

Gillian waited until Buck had picked up the on-flight phone and had gotten mid-conversation before she turned back to Cal, who was now staring contemplatively out the window. "Cal? You alright?"

"Yeah, yeah…" His eyebrows furrowed as he tapped the window with his finger, "The Stratosphere. We're here."


	5. Chapter 5

The Las Vegas heat was just as stifling as he had remembered it those many years ago. Cal tugged at his collar uncomfortably. Even though they were in a fully air-conditioned limo, he could feel the beads of sweat rolling down the side of his face.

"Here."

Cal looked down to find a tissue in Gillian's hand. He took it from her gratefully and wiped the wetness from his face. "It's hot."

Gillian knew only part of that sweat was from the heat. As they had drawn closer and closer to the strip, she could sense Cal's body tense up even though they were seated well apart in the spacious limo. She watched as he crumpled up the tissue in his hand, drawing it into a tight fist. Not knowing what else to do, she placed a reassuring hand on his. They shared a glance as the limo pulled to a stop.

"Well, here we are, folks!" Buck declared proudly.

The limo door flung open with the help of a valet waiting patiently in the U-shaped entrance to the casino. Within minutes, they were hustled into the lobby of the casino, brightly lit by the many rows of slot machines that immediately greeted patrons coming in through the doors. Gillian could hear Buck throwing commands out at the various minions that had hurried over to help them with their bags but her eyes were trained on Cal, whose eyes, in turn, were wandering around the vast space before them. There seemed to be endless crowds of people coming in and out, some heading straight for the slot machines, others heading for the all-day buffet. It wasn't until his eyes locked on the area encasing the poker tables that Gillian knew it was time to get Cal out of there.

"Buck, do you mind if we go up to our rooms to freshen up first before we speak with Robbie and your wife?"

"No, of course not, honey! Anything you want! I've already got people bringin' your bags up to your rooms. Why don't I have Paul bring you up?" He gestured at a man Gillian had noticed had been standing just a few feet away from them ever since they arrived. He, like Buck, was in a large white cowboy hat but, everything else about him seemed different than the burly cowboy owner of the casino. Paul was lanky and he wore a black suit that seemed incredibly mismatched with the hat on his head. He had no smile on his face and as he approached them, Gillian noted he reeked of cheap cologne.

"This way please." Paul's voice, like his suit, was monotonous.

Gillian tugged on Cal's sleeve to get his attention. To her relief, that seemed enough to snap Cal out of his daze. His body seemed to relax as he followed her and Paul towards the elevators. "So, uh…Paul, was it? You Buck's right-hand man?"

"You can call me that." The monotonous reply came as the elevator doors closed and they began ascending.

"Whatever happened to Bo? Remember Bo?" Cal asked Gillian but continued immediately, "Bo used to work for Buck. Did you know Bo, Paul?"

"No, I can't say I did."

Cal gave a pointed look to Gillian, who said nothing but understood what that look had meant. "So, when did you start working for Buck?" Cal continued his interrogation.

Paul said nothing more, simply ignoring Cal's question. It wasn't until they reached their rooms that Paul finally spoke again. He gestured at the door they were standing in front of, "This is your room, Dr. Foster, and the one next door is yours, Dr. Lightman. If there's anything you need, please feel free to let me know. Mr. Hoyt has made it clear that you two be treated like the highest of VIP guests." Despite his words, he showed no signs of wanting to help or wanting to answer more questions. Without waiting, he handed them each a card key and turned to leave.

Gillian let out a soft chuckle as Cal followed her into her room. "What a delightful man!"

"Did you see him in the elevator? When I asked him about Bo?"

"Nothing."

"Yeah, exactly. Sometimes a lack of emotions and facial expressions speak louder than a presence of them. I'd like to speak to Paul again."

"Of course you would but, before we do anything, I wanna know if you're ok."

Cal, who was still thinking about Paul, answered lazily, "Uh…yeah, yeah…I'm great."

"Really? Cuz just a few minutes ago, I could've sworn you were ready to walk over to those poker tables and bet your house on a game."

"I…was simply observing. Really, you worry too much, love." He turned to leave the room.

Gillian followed closely behind. She stopped at the door, holding it open as Cal went over the threshold. "The moment you feel like you want to head onto that casino floor, you tell me." She could see the hesitance in his face. "I'm serious, Cal. If at any time I think you can't handle this, I'm calling it all off. Case or no case, I will **not** let you fall back…"

"Ok, ok…" He raised his hands defensively. "You win. Ok?" When she didn't respond, he knew the discussion was over. "C'mon now, Buck's counting on us."


	6. Chapter 6

"Hello there, I'm Cal Lightman and this is my partner, Gillian Foster." Cal entered the dimly lit room. The room looked like it came straight out of a police television show. There was a single metal desk in the middle of the room with two chairs on either side. A shaky lamp hung right above the desk, enveloping the room in a light glow. It looked like every other interrogation room all casinos in Las Vegas had. He would know. He had been in every one of them at some point in his life.

"Yeah…I know you." The age on the papers Buck had given them said the kid was 25 but he could've passed for 18. Robbie smirked, showing off his babyface dimples. "Dr. Cal Lightman. You're a legend in these parts of town…can't say whether that's a good thing or not, though."

Cal ignored the jab and took a seat across from Robbie at the empty desk. He waited until Gillian followed suit before continuing, "Buck hired us to find out whether you've been stealing from him. So, Robbie, have you been stealing money from your stepfather?"

"That's rich, ya know? Having an ex-conman who's blacklisted from nearly every casino in Vegas try to find out whether I'm conning Buck. That's real rich." Robbie chuckled and leaned arrogantly back in his chair, tipping it onto his two hind legs as he threw his own feet onto the desk and crossed them.

"You still haven't answered my question, Robbie. Did you steal money from Buck?"

"No, I didn't." He snarled.

"Huh." Cal turned to look at Gillian, who was already smiling knowingly. "You saw that, didn't you?"

She nodded, "Genuine hurt. You were offended."

Robbie removed his feet from the desk and sat straight up. The two front legs of his chair landed on the ground with a loud thud. He pointed angrily at Gillian, "I told Buck I didn't steal money from him. He's asked a million times and I've told him a million times. He doesn't believe me. He goes and hires you two to find out something I've already told him. What can I do? Of course I'm offended!"

"Well, you can't really blame the man, can you?" Cal flipped open the folder he had in his hands. "Let's see here, you been in jail twice…"

"Once. It was juvie the first time around." Robbie corrected him quickly.

"…right, of course. Juvie when you were 15 for aggravated assault. Jail when you were 19 for possession of a narcotic. You've been caught multiple times with all kinds of drugs…"

"Look, just because I have a bad record doesn't make me a thief. I'm grateful for everything Buck's done for me. I know how much this all means to my mom, I would never do anything to ruin this for her."

"Hmm."

Robbie sighed in frustration as Cal leaned forward to study him, "What now?"

"You just lied."

"What? No I didn't! I didn't steal from Buck. He's given me a lot, I wouldn't do that to him."

"I believe you."

"But you just said I lied!"

"About what you said about your mother. I believe you are truly grateful for what Buck's done for you but when you talked about your mom, you grimaced."

Robbie fell silent and looked down at his hands.

"Buck mentioned earlier that he married your mother 6 years ago but you didn't move here until a year ago…" Gillian decided to take another approach.

"Yeah, well, being in jail makes it kinda hard to move anywhere."

"But you were released…" Gillian checked the information, "within a year. Why didn't you come here earlier?" She watched as Robbie swallowed and shifted slightly in his seat. When he said nothing, she offered, "Your mom didn't ask you to come here."

His chin quivered for just a second before his face returned to the confidence as was before. He looked up at Gillian. "I wasn't exactly the easiest kid to bring up. My dad left when I was born. My mom raised me on her own. When I was released from jail, I found out she had left town. I didn't try to find her. I figured it was the least I could do for her."

"Then how did you know she was here?"

"Well, when you marry one of the richest men in the country, it's kinda hard to keep things on the down low. I saw a photo of them in some trashy tabloid."

"So you came looking for her."

"Look…I didn't…I know what you guys are thinking. I find out my mom's married into money and suddenly I come rushing to reunite with her but it wasn't like that! I just…" He trailed off before adding quietly, "I missed her. I had a friend who was coming to town for some job opportunity so I hitched a ride. I wasn't expecting anything. I just wanted to talk to her."

"And when you did get a chance, she convinced you to stay?"

"No…it was actually Buck who convinced her to let me stay. So, why would I do anything to ruin a man who gave me a life? Before I came here, I could barely even get a job at McDonald's. Nobody wants to hire a high school dropout who has been jail. Now, I live in a mansion and drive a car that actually moves. I have everything I could ever want. I don't need to steal."

*****

"What did you think of Robbie?" Gillian asked as she bit hungrily into her burger.

Cal poked around his pasta with his fork before answering, "I don't think he did it. He seemed genuinely grateful for Buck and was offended when we accused him."

"Mmhmm…" She wiped her mouth and thanked the waiter who had just placed a large glass of strawberry milkshake in front of her. "Thank you."

"Are you gonna be able to finish all that?" Cal scrunched up his face in mock disgust.

"Of course." Gillian grinned, taking a sip of her drink. "Oh…this is so good."

"Really, you eat more junk food than children."

"Milkshakes are not junk food, Cal. And just because you can't seem to enjoy food doesn't mean I can't." She raised her eyebrow playfully before taking another sip.

His gaze lingered on her for just a moment longer before he switched his attention over to the nearby slot machines. It seemed like no matter where they were in the building, there were always slot machines nearby. "I never quite understood why people bother with these things. Don't they realize the odds are against them?"

"It's for the thrill. It's nice to have hope."

"Not when it's empty hope." He raised his finger and pointed it in the far distance. "Now cards, that's where the real money is made."

"Cal…"

"Don't worry, I have no intention of making any money myself."

"Good…because I think Buck's having enough trouble with **one** person stealing his money."

He let out a tired chuckle but his eyes stayed trained on the green felt-covered tables. He could feel his palms getting clammy as the thought of those cards raced through his mind…


	7. Chapter 7

"Oh, there you two are! How was dinner? Everything good? If something ain't good, you be sure to tell me and I'll fix it! Make it perfect!"

"No, no…the food was great, Buck." Gillian offered Buck a pat on the arm now that she was in a much better mood after dinner. Sugar always made her more tolerant.

"Gr-reat! Lemme introduce you to my wife, Joanna."

Buck stepped aside to reveal a blonde woman dressed in a skintight, fire engine red dress that was showing a bit more cleavage than necessary. She smiled, "Hi, I'm Joanna."

Though her greeting was to the both of them, Gillian noted that Joanna's eyes were focused on Cal. He shook Joanna's hand but looked at Buck, "Why don't you leave Joanna with us, Buck?"

Taking a hint, Buck nodded. He gave his wife a kiss on the cheek and a quick slap on the butt. Joanna gave an embarrassed chuckle but, other than that, seemed to have actually enjoyed the playful exchange.

"Please, Joanna, have a seat." Cal gestured at the sofa. This room was a complete opposite of the room they had been in earlier with Robbie. This room was well-furnished with brown leather sofas and even a plasma television on the wall.

"I'm not even sure why Buck insists on having you two here." Joanna was quick to correct herself, "Don't get me wrong, I understand you two and my husband go way back and I am more than happy to have you as guests here at the Golden Buck but…" She shook her head, "My son isn't a thief."

"Right, Robbie…we spoke with him earlier." Cal, as usual, took lead. "Good kid."

"He really is. When people see his record, they look at him differently but he really is a good kid. Tried my best to raise him right but I guess I won't be getting any Mother of the Year awards anytime soon." She smiled awkwardly before continuing. "I don't know what's gotten into Buck lately. He's just gotten so paranoid. First, he thinks money's being stolen and now, he actually thinks it's Robbie stealing it."

"Are you saying you don't believe money is being stolen?"

"Well, of course. I am in charge of every aspect of this casino. I oversee everything. If money was being stolen, I would know."

"He mentioned that one of his…'people' told him that there was something wrong with the books."

"His 'people' don't know anything about running a casino. All they know how to do is kiss Buck's ass and round up cattle." Again, she was quick to correct herself, "I'm sorry, I'm getting off track here."

"No, we appreciate your honesty, Joanna. So, you don't like the people who work for him?"

"They're a bunch of uneducated hicks who wouldn't have a job if they weren't from the same town as Buck. That man's got a heart of gold. Anybody and everybody who comes to him for help…he never lets down." She paused and then looked straight at Cal. "But you knew that."

It seemed as though both Robbie and Joanna had done their research on Cal before they had arrived but if that was bothering him, he wasn't showing. Gillian decided to jump in, "So, in your opinion, no money is being stolen?"

"No. None at all. Trust me, even though the money is Buck's, I have an equal amount of love and effort invested in this place. If someone was screwing us over, I would be the first to sound the alarms but no shady business has been going on. I try to tell Buck that but he doesn't seem to be listening to anyone but Paul these days."

"Paul? You mean his right-hand man?"

"Right-hand man…" Joanna gave no effort to hide the disdain in her voice. "Man's a lying scumbag, if you ask me. I dunno what spell he's put over Buck but it's like everything he says is the absolute truth to my husband. Actually, he's the one who started this whole mess!"

"You mean he's the one who told Buck money was being stolen?"

"Yeah, **and** he was the one who pointed the finger at Robbie first."

*****

"So, love, aren't you glad we took this case?" Cal leaned back against the soft leather. Joanna had left the room after their short conversation. It was just him and Gillian in the room now. They were waiting for Buck's return. "Good mystery for the noggin." He tapped his temple with his finger.

"Noggin? Don't tell me Buck's rubbing off on you now." Gillian shook her head. "And I don't think it's much of a mystery. It's clear that both Robbie and Joanna were telling the truth, which leaves us with only one culprit – Paul."

"Right, but we still dunno why he's lying."

"That's easy enough. All we have to do is speak with him."

"So, my wife tells me you wanted to speak to me?" Buck returned with the same volume as his presence always brought.

"Yes, we need to speak with one more person on your staff."

"My staff? You mean Robbie isn't…"

"No, Buck, we don't believe your stepson is responsible. Neither do we think your wife is lying to help him. In fact, we don't think either of them were lying at all."

"So who's been stealing my money?"

"Nobody."

"Wha-?"

"Look, we don't have all the answers yet but we will once we speak with your right-hand man."

Gillian nodded. "Yes, we need to speak with Paul."

"Paul?" Buck frowned, still confused by the progress of the situation. "Well, he ain't been stealin' my money, I'm sure of it!"

"We know, Buck. Nobody's been stealing money from you. The only person who has claimed money has been stolen is Paul. We need to speak with him to understand why he lied to you."

"No! Paul wouldn't lie to me!" Buck raised his hands and took a step back.

"Why are you so sure?" Cal asked, his curiousity piqued by Buck's overreaction.

"Cuz he's my brother!"

"Your brother?" Gillian glanced at Cal, who seemed just as surprised. "You didn't say anything…neither did your wife..."

"That's cuz Joanna doesn't know. Nobody does. We were poor growin' up. My parents sent Paul away to live with relatives in Iowa. We didn't see each other again 'til 'bout a couple years ago. We don't tell anybody cuz it wasn't a happy time for him. He doesn't like talkin' 'bout it. I respect that."

"Buck, I understand you feel guilty…probably because he got sent away and not you but if he lied to you, wouldn't you want to know why? It's hard to accept but even the ones closest to us are capable of betraying us. You were ready to accept that Robbie and even Joanna were lying to you. What makes you think Paul isn't?"

Gillian bit her lower lip. Cal was never one to hold his words back. She waited for Buck's reaction.

Buck was silent for a while. Finally, his shoulders sagged in defeat and he sighed, "He's gone home for the night. I'll arrange for him to speak with you tomorrow morning."


	8. Chapter 8

"Looks like you're gonna get your wish. All we gotta do is speak with Paul and I think we'll be done."

Gillian nodded tiredly. After their conversation with Buck, they had decided there was nothing more to do until tomorrow morning but instead of returning to his own room, Cal had followed her into hers. She crossed her arms and leaned back against the dresser that also served as a TV stand. As she did this, she glanced discreetly at her watch. It was only ten but that meant it was already one in the morning back on the East coast. It seemed like they had been in Vegas for several days by now but as she thought about it, she realized it had only been this morning that Buck had come to them for help. She muffled a yawn with the back of her hand.

As if suddenly realizing he was keeping her from sleeping, he jumped up from the bed he was comfortably lounging on. "I should let you get to bed…"

"You should get some rest too. It's been a long day." She waited for him to say something witty in response but when he gave her nothing, she gestured at the door. "I'll see you tomorrow, Cal."

"Right, right…yeah." He had barely taken two steps towards the door when his phone rang. He stopped in his tracks and answered it.

Gillian knew by the sheepish look he gave her that it was Zoe. She sighed and backed up a couple of steps to allow him some privacy, though she could still clearly hear his mumbled responses from where she was standing.

"Yeah…look, this is exactly why I didn't wanna tell you…it's fine, I'm just here for a case…no, I haven't even set foot on the casino floor…yes, I'm here with her…" He paused and shot Gillian another awkward glance. She shifted her body so that she was turned away from him, partly to pretend like she wasn't eavesdropping and partly to shield the smile that had developed on her face. He continued on the phone, "It'll be fine, Zoe…is Emily asleep?...oh, yes, of course, time zones…ok, Zoe, I gotta go…yeah, ok, ok, night."

"I take it she's not a happy camper." Gillian turned back to face to him as he returned his phone to his pocket.

"Worried, that's all. Um…you get some sleep. I will see you tomorrow." He hurried out the door, obviously not wanting to rehash the conversation he just had.

She smiled again as she closed the door and locked it. She understood. Cal could talk to her about anything and everything except things that pertained to Zoe. That's how it had always been between them and she couldn't say she didn't like that arrangement. Zoe had never been her favourite person. Which was fine because she knew the feeling was mutual.

*****

"_Gillian? Where's Zoe?"_

_Gillian was left speechless for a moment as she caught sight of the man emerging from the elevator. His face was hidden under a good amount of facial hair and the hair on top of his head was unkempt, at best. There was no time to continue studying how much he had changed though since she noticed there were two large men accompanying him and she could tell by the menacing looks on their faces that the quicker they were out of there, the better. She grabbed Cal's arm and dragged him out of the casino lobby. Guests entering as they were exiting gave them curious looks and several began to whisper amongst themselves. She ignored them and did not stop walking until they were well off casino property._

"_Whoa, whoa…hey, stop!" Cal stumbled weakly onto the grass and landed hard, right underneath a palm tree. "If you haven't noticed, I'm a little tired."_

"_Yeah, well, playing poker for 4 days straight can do that to you." Her voice was unforgiving. She towered over him with her arms crossed and her face stern._

"_So…I'm a little surprised to see you. I mean…I told those guys back there to call my wife but I guess they misunderstood." He leaned his head back against the bumpy trunk of the tree. "You know, all those stereotypes you hear about jocks and muscleheads? They're all true! Those two guys you saw manhandling me just now? Dumb as…"_

"_Shut up, Cal. You're not the least bit sorry for what's happened, are you? I can't believe I actually came down here to rescue you when you don't even care!"_

"_Well…of course I care, love. I'm very grateful you came to bail me out, I just didn't expect to see you…"_

"_Zoe called me."_

_This seemed to sober him up. He sat up. "__**Zoe**__ called you?"_

"_Those muscleheads you were talking about? They __**did**__ call Zoe. She called me to tell me she wasn't gonna come bail you out. She's had enough. I can't say I blame her." She had to stop and take a deep breath to calm herself down._

_He let out a tired sigh. "So why did you help me?"_

_She looked down at him again and when she did, the anger seemed to drain out of her body. "Because I know you're better than this, Cal. You can do better than this. You're not a criminal."_

"_I think all the casinos here in Vegas would beg to differ."_

"_Yeah, well, if it wasn't for Buck Hoyt, I think the local police would also beg to differ."_

"_Buck Hoyt? You didn't…"_

"_I had to! He was the only one who could help you! Who was __**willing**__ to help you. They were ready to throw you to the wolves, Cal. If I hadn't asked Buck for his help, you would either be in jail or worse…probably, in a gutter somewhere waiting to die. You stole money from nearly every casino in town. You're like a walking target."_

"_I didn't steal. It's not my fault all the poker dealers in town are hacks."_

"_Oh my God…" She brought her hand up to her forehead. "I can't believe this…you are completely…"_

"_What did Buck want in return?"_

"_Nothing."_

"_Oh, c'mon, you don't really believe that, do you? There are never any free lunches here in Vegas. He'll want something…if not now, then some time down the road." He got up from the ground and brushed the grass off his pants._

"_At least you're a free man…and one who's alive." She reached out to help him._

_He took her hand in his. "Thanks, love, I appreciate everything you've done. I really do…and I promise none of this will be in vain…"_

*****

Gillian startled from her sleep and for a moment, in her disorientation, wondered where she was. It wasn't until she sat up and looked around the dark room that she realized she had just had a dream. Ever since Buck had said they would be flying to Vegas, memories of 13 years ago had raced through her mind. She picked up her watch from the bedside table. It was well past midnight now. She wasn't sure if it had been the dream or just an unexplained urge but her instincts told her to call Cal.


	9. Chapter 9

The casino was bustling. If Gillian hadn't looked at her watch before heading downstairs, she could've sworn it was the middle of the day considering how many people were still up and playing their various money games. Despite the crowds, it didn't take long for her to find who she was looking for. He was seated in the empty cafe adjacent to the poker tables. "It's one in the morning, which makes it four in the morning for those of us not used to the time zone change yet."

Cal didn't seem surprised to see her there. His eyes stayed on the poker tables. "Which is why you should be asleep."

"I was…until I called your room and no one picked up."

"I could've been asleep."

"But you aren't." She patted his shoulder and sat down across from him.

He finally turned to look at her. "Are you checking up on me?" When she didn't answer, he shrugged and shook his head. "Cuz if you are, you really are wasting your time. I haven't gone near a deck of cards or even close to those tables."

"Which is great but sitting alone in a cafe just a few feet away from those tables at one in the morning isn't so great, Cal."

"I just wanted to watch."

"And what? Heckle the dealers? Provide commentary on how the players are faring?"

"I'm just watching." He said firmly.

"It's not that I don't trust you…"

"But I have a shaky record, I understand." They fell silent as his gaze returned to the tables.

"Well, since I'm awake and down here anyway, you should buy me a drink." She motioned at a nearby waiter. "Two scotches, neat, please."

When the waiter returned with their drinks, Cal held his glass up. "What should we toast to?"

"How about…to you coming to Vegas and not succumbing to those urges I know are just dying to get out?"

He smiled and clinked his glass against hers. "Cheers, love." He took a sip of the smooth liquid and admired it in the glass for a second before saying, "Zoe never liked scotch."

"Yeah, well, there's a lot of things Zoe doesn't like." She avoided his eyes. They both knew there was more to that comment.

"I can't believe it's been 13 years already…" He broke out into a laugh. "I still remember the look of horror you had on your face when you came to rescue me from the evil clutches of a Vegas casino owner."

"Well, you looked horrible!" She answered his laugh with one of her own. "I'm sorry, Cal, but you looked like a caveman!"

"A caveman? How many cavemen do you know had an Armani suit and a vintage Rolex on his wrist?"

"By the time I got here, that Armani suit looked like it was picked up from the dumpster and you didn't even have your Rolex anymore."

"Casino owner took it." He shrugged, looking at the much cheaper watch that now lay around his wrist. "Guess even recouping the price of a Rolex was better than nothing."

"You stole…" She corrected herself when he looked at her. "You **won** five million off poker in four days. There was no way he was gonna let you go without taking something back."

"You know, it's weird, I was always more afraid that Buck would come looking for his favour more than everyone else seeking revenge on me." He looked at her intently before continuing, "I guess cuz if everyone else came after me, I know they would only come after **me** but with Buck, you had asked him for the favour for me. I guess I was more afraid cuz if he had decided to cash in his favour, he'd probably come to you and you've already done too much for me."

She broke their gaze by looking down at her half-empty glass of scotch. "Well, after this case, we'll no longer owe him anything."

"Yeah." He watched as she downed the rest of her drink. "Another one then?"

"No, that's enough for me. You're ok so, I should get some sleep." She got up from the table and as she passed by him, she patted him on the shoulder again. "You should too, Cal. Goodnight."


	10. Chapter 10

"Good mornin', Light-man!" Buck greeted Cal with a big slap on the back. "Did ya sleep well?"

"Yeah, slept just fine."

"Where's that li'l lady o' yours?"

Cal shook his head but despite his scolding tone, his lips curled up into a smile. "You know, Buck, if you keep this up with her, she might actually physically hurt you."

Buck let out a loud guttural laugh. "C'mon, I'm just playin' with y'all! But really, I'm just sayin' what I know you're thinkin'." He winked and gave Cal a nudge in his arm.

"Oh, now you're able to read my mind, is that it?"

"No, no…I'm no psychic but it don't take no psychic to see the way y'all look at each other. I see the li'l touchy-touchies." Buck winked again. "Now, don't take offense, alright? We go way back, you and me! But ever since the day that pretty li'l lady came here askin' me to help ya, I've been wonderin' why you ain't married to her! If a woman flew across the country to save my hide from a bunch of gangster casino owners, I'd marry her in a jiffy!"

"I was married, Buck."

"Yeah and yet it wasn't your wifey that came askin' me for help." He tipped his cowboy hat down as if that was necessary to make his point.

"Well…looks like the party started without me."

Both men turned to find Gillian emerging from the elevator. "Morning, sunshine!" Buck pulled her into a hug.

"Yeah…good morning, Buck." She gave him a courteous pat on the back and politely pushed him away. "So, is Paul here yet?"

The sound of his brother's name seemed to sober Buck up. The grin disappeared from his face and he spoke with much less enthusiasm. "Yes, ma'am, he's waitin' in my office."

"What was that about?" Gillian whispered as she and Cal followed Buck away from the lobby.

"What was what about?" Cal asked, not sure what she meant.

"What were you guys talking about before I came down? Sure seemed serious."

"Nothing. Just asking him what kinda cowboy hat would suit me." He deadpanned. At Gillian's unconvinced look, he shrugged innocently. "What? You don't believe me?"

Gillian didn't bother to answer as they entered Buck's office. She was a bit stunned to find the sense of familiarity she immediately felt as she looked around. It looked exactly like the room she had met him in 13 years ago, except that room was his office in his first casino.

Reading her mind, Buck pointed to the large bullhorns hanging on the wall above his desk. "Had the ones in my other office duplicated for this one. Beauty, ain't it?"

"It's something, that's for sure." She turned to Paul, who sat silent and expressionless on a nearby couch. "We should get started."

"Right…I should go…let y'all do your work." Buck looked at his brother, who gave him a sharp look but said nothing.

Cal waited until Buck had left before he looked at Paul. "I really hope you'll be more talkative than you were with us yesterday. No use prolonging this."

"There is nothing to say." Paul snarled, his eyes staring straight ahead at nothing.

"Really? I think there's plenty to talk about. How about we start with Buck? He told us about your relationship."

The man scoffed. "You mean that he's my boss?"

"Is that all he is to you?" When Paul stayed silent, Cal continued, "You don't like him."

Still, Paul said nothing. Gillian piped in. "It would be understandable if you felt some level of hatred or anger towards him. Your parents chose to keep him around and to send you away. Feelings of jealousy and disdain are quite normal in your case."

"If you think you can psycho-analyze me into any confessions, you can save your breath."

"Ok, no b.s. then. How about we try honesty? Why did you lie to Buck about someone stealing money from the casino? And why did you accuse Robbie when you know he did nothing wrong?" The slight movement of Paul's right cheek as Cal mentioned Robbie's name did not on unnoticed. "Oh, so it's not Buck you don't like. It's Robbie."

As usual, Paul remained in silence. Gillian sighed, "Look, you can sit there and not answer any of our questions but that just makes you seem more suspicious. If you feel any care for your brother, you should tell us the truth. You don't want him thinking that you're messing with him cuz you hate him."

Paul looked up at her and then looked at Cal. Finally, he spoke. "That boy isn't even his family and yet Buck treats him like a real son. He practically runs this place with that trashy mother of his and me? I get to pick up Buck's dry-cleaning and bring your bags up to your rooms." He practically spit those last words out.

"If that bothers you, why don't you just talk to Buck about it? I'm sure if you just asked, he would give you a bigger role in his casinos."

"Please. If I did that, everyone would look at me like the greedy long-lost brother who comes running to town, asking for money."

"But that is what you are." Cal offered unapologetically.

"No," Paul gave him an insulted look, "I'm not. I didn't ask to move here. Buck came looking for me a couple of years ago. Said he needed help with his business. I quit my job and left everything behind in Iowa to come help him. Then when I came to town, I realized what he meant was he needed my help running his stupid errands for him. He is exactly like our parents. Never cared about me. Never considered what I wanted."

Gillian exchanged a knowing look with Cal. They had gotten to the core of the problem. "Paul, you should really tell Buck how you feel. I'm sure he wouldn't look at you like you were being greedy. He asked you to move here because you're his brother. He feels a lot of guilt for what happened in your childhood."

Paul looked at her like she was crazy. "I don't think it matters anymore. Now that he knows I lied about his precious wife and her jailbird son…"

"Just talk to him. You'd be surprised how forgiving family can be sometimes."

Cal nodded. "She's right, Paul. Lying gets you nowhere. Take it from someone who used to lie for a living. If your brother means anything to you, you should tell him the truth…not only about what you made up but also why. You might be a lot happier cuz of it."

"Being happy is overrated." Paul got up from the couch but stopped at the door. For a moment, his shoulders relaxed and relief was found on his face. "But I'll try that out." With that, he left.

"Being happy is overrated." Gillian shook her head. "Sound familiar?"

"Are you comparing me to that lying emotionless sack of…"

"Cal…"

He shrugged in defeat. "I guess if the shoe fits."

She laughed and joined him on the couch. "Well, that went quicker than I expected."

"Does that mean we can stay here for a while longer?"

"No, Cal, we're leaving."

"Oh, c'mon…"

She gave him a motherly look. "In fact, I'm gonna find Buck right now and tell him we're going. I can't wait to go home."

"Actually, why don't you lemme speak with Buck? You go on upstairs and get your stuff together. I'll meet you in the lobby in a bit?"

"Sure." She studied his face for a moment but decided not to question him. "I'll see you later."


	11. Chapter 11

Paul was just leaving the table when Cal found Buck in the same café he and Gillian were in last night. He and Paul looked at each other but did not exchange words. "Hey, Buck."

"He told me everything." Buck answered drearily. "Thank you, for everything you and Dr. Foster have done. I guess I shoulda trusted my wife and my son a li'l more."

"You couldn't have known. You didn't think your brother would lie to you." When Buck said nothing, Cal continued. "So, what'll happen to him now?"

"He's moving back to Iowa. His own idea. I told him I wanted him to stay, regardless of what happened, but he said it'd be for the best. I guess he's right. I can't force him to move here if he ain't wantin' it. That'd be no different than what my parents did."

"That's good. Ya know, sometimes families are better left apart."

"Yeah? Like you and that wifey o' yours?"

Cal smiled, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "Yeah, that's why we're divorced."

"Good. Means you and that li'l lady o' yours can finally be together."

"Buck, Gillian and I…we aren't like that."

"I don't get why not. Have a seat, Light-man. Do you know why I agreed to help you? Even after you robbed me of half a million dollars?"

"I didn't rob you, Buck. I won it fair and square off your poker tables."

"You and I both know what you did was neither fair nor square." He looked at him pointedly. "But I agreed to help you cuz o' Dr. Foster. If it wasn't for her, I woulda never helped you. She came to me, gave me a big ol' teary speech about how you were capable of big things and that you just needed a li'l boost. I believed her and now lookit you! Mr. FBI Expert!"

"I know I owe her a lot. Just like how I owed you. You know, I was always very scared you'd come to cash in that favour."

"Wh-! Why?"

"I dunno. I guess I was just afraid you'd never let me or her forget what happened."

"Please, Light-man! A gentleman never makes a lady pay up and what I did those years ago? I did it for her, not you."

"Thanks, Buck."

"No, thank **you**. I'll have my jet fueled and ready for you. Tell Dr. Foster she's always welcome here. As for you," He pointed at Cal, "you're only welcome if she's around cuz don't think I dunno how much you wanted to try your hand at the tables these last two days. If she wasn't around, you'd be outta a lotta money."

"You mean **you'd** be out of a lot of money." Cal laughed and shook Buck's hand. He gave the poker tables one last look before leaving for good.


	12. Chapter 12

"You know, Buck's really not that bad of a guy if you get to know him."

Gillian looked at Cal with a surprised frown. "You guys became fast friends during this trip."

"He's a good man."

"What **did** you talk to him about before we left? More advice on cowboy hats?"

Cal smiled, settling comfortably into his leather seat. He could hear the jet plane's engines firing up as they got ready to take-off. "Actually, we talked about you."

"Me?" She waited for more but when he said nothing, she shook her head. "Wh-...thats it?"

"You should really put your seatbelt on."

"Cal!"

"It was nothing. He just reminded me of what you did for me 13 years ago."

She studied him for a second before locking in her seatbelt and leaning back into her own seat. "That was a long time ago."

"I never asked you why you came for me." When she didn't answer, he tilted his head to look at her. She was looking at him with a look of disbelief on her face.

"I can't believe you would even ask me that. I'm a little insulted, to be honest."

"Well, I mean…my own wife didn't come save me…"

"Yeah, and if even I didn't, who else would? I wasn't gonna let you disappear here in Sin City, Cal."

"I wasn't exactly the most upstanding citizen back then. You had no reason to help me. I'm not sure I even thought I deserved to be saved."

"Are you saying I should've just left you for dead? It's not too late for that. I'm sure if you got off the plane right now, there would be plenty of old-timers around here who would still like a piece of you."

"That's not what I'm saying."

"Then what **are** you saying?"

"Thank you?" Cal repeated himself but with a bit more confidence. "Yes, thank you."

"You're welcome, Cal. Is this discussion over? Cuz if it is, I'd really like to take a quick nap before we get back. This crazy ex-card counting conman kept me up late with scotch and stories about the past."

He smiled. "Yeah, I'll wake you when we get there." He watched her for just a moment longer as she closed her eyes and leaned her head back. He smiled again, this time, to himself. 13 years later, it was still just them against the world.


End file.
